Crime Stoppers works - the community benefits and the police can work with the help they are given.

Crime 100By Staff

October 19th, 2018

BURLINGTON. ON

 

Crime Stoppers not only pays people who help solve crime, but the program gives residents an anonymous way to identify offenders and make our communities safer.

Recently, the effectiveness of Crime Stoppers in Halton was evidenced after tipsters provided crucial details that helped Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault investigators identify and arrest an individual accused of sexual assault.

Halton Regional Police issued a public appeal for information after a brazen daylight sexual assault on a residential street in Burlington. That appeal resulted in anonymous tip submissions to Halton Crime Stoppers, which ultimately led to the swift identification and arrest of the suspect.

Jan_H_Westcott-1

Jan Westcott, chair of Halton Crime Stoppers

Jan Westcott, chair of Halton Crime Stoppers, said this is just one of numerous occasions through the years where residents have called the anonymous tip line to help police solve crime.

“We very much appreciate those individuals who provide information that allows investigators to identify perpetrators or locate people who have committed crimes in our communities,” Westcott said.
“Crime Stoppers of Halton has operated a tip line in the region since 1988 when various Chamber of Commerce groups and residents in the region requested a method for people to provide police with information anonymously that could allow them to solve crime,” he said. “At the time there were a number of Crime Stoppers programs operating successfully in neighbouring communities and other cities across Ontario.”

Westcott said through the cooperation of citizens calling the tip line almost 2,200 cases have been solved since the program began and more than 1,000 individuals arrested. Tips to Crime Stoppers have also been responsible for the seizure of more than $18 million in illegal drugs and the recovery of almost $3 million of stolen property.

“People definitely make a difference when they call Crime Stoppers to provide valuable information to police to help them solve crime,” he said. “Tips like the one which helped quickly identify this sexual assault suspect demonstrate how Crime Stoppers not only assists with arrests, but shows how anonymous callers can prevent further crimes from being committed in the community and consequently making our streets safer for everyone.”

Westcott said Crime Stoppers is a citizen-run charitable organization and has helped police maintain Halton as one of the safest regions in Canada.

Jan Westcott

Jan Westcott

“Our board routinely authorizes payments for anonymous tips that solve various crimes,” Westcott added. “We want the public to know that Crime Stoppers operates year round, 24 hours a day, so people in the community can anonymously provide information that police may need to solve any crime. Callers are never asked to give their names and do not have to testify in court since their anonymity is guaranteed.”

Westcott said Crime Stoppers is only successful because people are calling the tip line and providing information that will help solve crime and keep our keep our communities safe.

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